Levi van Tine's Reviews
'Destiny: Rise of Iron' is not a standout expansion but nor is it disappointing the way that 'The Dark Below' and 'House of Wolves' were. The production values remain high with the superb score, attractive Temple of Iron, new Crucible maps and so forth. On the other hand, the PvE content has mileage issues. It is still worth playing and even worth coming back to 'Destiny' for, if only for a short while.
'Minecraft' still has a lot of steam left. The game has been and will continue to be a consuming phenomenon. New console or no, 'Minecraft: Xbox One Edition' is perfect for those who have never played it (are there any of those people left?), or those who have spent a lot of time on their 360 worlds and would be interested in the new features. It is not ideal for those who already spend a lot of time on 'Minecraft' somewhere else, such as the PC.
'Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel' offers just enough content to move out of expansion territory and into full release, but barely. For those who can't get enough Borderlands and relish the opportunity to experience some new characters and abilities, this will tide you over for a few dozen hours. For everyone else, it's not exactly a must-play title.
'D4: Dark Dreams Don't Die' is an odd, quirky little game. It is not for everyone, and its cornucopia of bugs and stutters does not help its case. And yet, it does have a certain charm that started to grow on me during the second episode. Fans of SWERY's previous outings will find a lot to like. It doesn't have the legs of a full gaming "meal," but it could serve as a light snack.
It is a wonderful love letter to fans of 'Alpha Centauri' and certainly one of the best turn-based releases this year.
This is the best Xbox One exclusive to date, although competition is a bit slim in that category ('Dead Rising 3' made the jump to PC this year). It reminds me a lot of 'Saint's Row IV', 'Borderlands', 'Jet Set Radio', and even 'Crackdown', and the combination of a self-effacing world and move-or-die gameplay makes it the rare open world treat. While the crowded release schedule this fall may divert attention from it, it is absolutely worthwhile.
It is not a frame-for-frame clone of 'Dark Souls', but neither is 'Lords of the Fallen' a worthy competitor. Imitation is certainly the sincerest form of flattery, but this game gets more wrong than it does right. Difficult gameplay is its own reward if the player has the proper tools, and while I had some of those tools in 'Lords of the Fallen', I never quite got on board with what it offers. A stronger tutorial or even a minimap goes a long way. Even so, the time I spent with it was not without enjoyment. For those with the patience and conviction, who don't mind taking a beating and putting up with some visual issues, 'Lords of the Fallen' may just scratch an itch not met by anything else currently on the Xbox One.
'Fantasia' is a joy to play from start to finish. It has smart, addictive Kinect features, a great (if limited) soundtrack, and uses its source material wisely. It has a few things holding it back, like its weak visuals, frequent load times, and choppy menu navigation. Even taking those into account, this is easily one of the best Kinect-based games to date and is more than worth a long look.
At full price as of the time of this writing, no substantive upgrades, and nearly an identical experience to the previous version, the Xbox One iteration of 'The Wolf Among Us' is only recommended for those players who are new to the series. For those people, I certainly encourage a playthrough. For those who have played it in the past, there isn't much to see here.
'Tropico 5' is less of a sequel and more of an update for the franchise, as could be said of its immediate predecessor. It is more accessible to a grizzled 'Tropico' fan, but the gameplay is still as addictive as ever. The limited multiplayer and lovely sandbox mode give the game legs, even if it's hampered by some visual and tutorial issues. Deep city building mechanics and a sardonic sense of humor make it stand out in the sparse field of simulation titles on the 360.
Being too similar to the first game and finishing far too quickly keep 'Costume Quest 2' from greatness. It maintains its predecessor's wit, although the jokes have been diluted somewhat, as have the mechanics. It could most accurately be described as a playable cartoon, and is a short and sweet romp for any RPG fan who doesn't mind its cuteness or brevity.
'Magic 2015' is frustrating not because it's bad, but because it is so close to being so good. It takes a step forward with the deck builder and two steps back with its cumbersome interface and lack of engaging gametypes for both single and multiplayer. The pay-to-win model has not taken over just yet, but it is creeping steadily closer. If you have enjoyed previous versions of 'Duels of the Planeswalkers' and are a serious 'Magic' fan, it's not a bad play. If you are a newcomer to the series, consider the 2013 or 2014 edition instead.
'Assassin's Creed Unity' is a conundrum. Some of its components have been put together well, like the visual quality of Paris and the co-op. Other parts are a bit uglier and have still made it into the final product, the glaring dearth of proper bug testing foremost among them. Ultimately, the latter outweigh the former, and this game can safely be passed over by all but the most loyal fans. The Assassins have seen better days.
'Assassin's Creed: Rogue' is an adequate, if familiar, conclusion of the latest chapter of 'Assassin's Creed'. It adds enough to qualify as a full-fledged release and features a decent storyline. The bugs are tolerable and certainly not as distracting as its big brother 'Unity'. Gameplay wise it's perfect for anyone enthralled by the seafaring focus of 'Black Flag.' For anyone who hasn't tossed out their last-gen consoles quite yet, it's among the best 'Assassin's Creeds' to be found in that generation.
'Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham' is a good Lego experience, but it adds to the franchise only incrementally. The series has been around for nearly a decade and has made great improvements since it began, but needs more innovation to avoid going down the path of burnt-out IPs. Besides the new characters, there is little difference between this game and last year's 'Lego Marvel.' The storyline is also rather short, and can be finished in six or seven hours. Despite that, it is a good time for kids of all ages with co-op and free play continuing as a base for the series' signature charm.
'Rollers of the Realm' nearly does for pinball what 'Puzzle Quest' did for the match-three genre. It competently takes an existing medium and merges it with roleplaying elements to create something that hasn't been done before, which is unusual in gaming. A few design problems keep it from greatness, like a very cold, withholding system of progression. That doesn't stop it from being an enjoyable experience and something worth trying for any pinball or RPG fan.
'Dragon Age: Inquisition' vies with 'Diablo' for the spot of best RPG currently available on the Xbox One. It avoids the grind endemic to games of its kind and has a good story on top of an even better open world. It is not without its problems, many of which BioWare has been criticized for in the past, but is nevertheless an important RPG that is both superior to its predecessor and certainly gives players their money's worth.
'Far Cry 4' is not a revolutionary game in the series (no pun intended), but it continues to build on the addictive open world gameplay of its predecessors. Kyrat is the best character and has enough content to keep players busy for countless hours. The campaign co-op is a welcome addition. A weak storyline, last-gen visuals, and unfinished multiplayer keep it from the upper echelons of greatness.
The next-gen variety of 'Grand Theft Auto V' is unequivocally a rerelease, increasingly common for the gaming industry. However, a notable amount of work and care has been put into its development, specifically with the first-person mode, and this makes for an even better 'GTA V.' As much as I appreciate the first-person mode, enhanced graphics, and other little things, this version is best for those gamers who missed last year's release. It's still one of the best games to be found on the Xbox One.
Telltale has demonstrated that their knack for writing and developing characters is as solid as ever, even with the wacky 'Borderlands' license. With 'Zer0 Sum,' the first episode of 'Tales from the Borderlands,' Telltale got the story heavy take on the colorful world humming. The characters and script are smart and snappy, and elicited a chuckle from me more than a few times through the brief playthrough. If they can lock down the bugs cropping up in the technical performance, this would be about as good as it gets for an adventure game.